Scotty Hasting. Photo: Courtesy of Black River Entertainment

Black River Entertainment artist Scotty Hasting stopped by the MusicRow office last week to share a few songs and his remarkable story. The Purple Heart recipient was friendly and open as he talked about his journey from military service to music.

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow’s Madison Hahnen and John Nix Arledge; Scotty Hasting; MusicRow’s Sherod Robertson and LB Cantrell

Hasting performed “’Til The Last Shot’s Fired,” a song that held deep personal meaning during his recovery after being shot 10 times while serving in Afghanistan. Originally recorded by Trace Adkins, the track became a source of strength for Hasting during his time at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. His powerful version—featuring country mainstay Lee Brice and the legendary Dolly Parton—honors the impact it had on his journey.

In 2023, a serendipitous encounter in Nashville led Hasting to Doug Johnson, one of the song’s co-writers and Black River’s VP of A&R. That meeting opened the door to Hasting’s signing with the label and launched his music career.

“I used music as a form of therapy,” Hasting said. “I am blessed to now have the platform to hopefully help people who struggle the way that I do find something they can relate to.”

During the visit, he also played “Whiskey in the Bottle,” a reflection on living life to the fullest, and his current single “Pro Beer,” a fun-loving anthem about embracing the good times.

As he looks ahead, Hasting is excited to share more music that captures his full personality—balancing lighthearted moments with the healing power of storytelling.

William Beckmann is slated to make his major label debut with the release of Whiskey Lies & Alibis, out June 20 via Warner Music Nashville. Produced by Jon Randall, the 12-song record is a layered country album that captures the sting of lost love and the clarity that follows. It is available for pre-order now.

“For me, an album is meant to be a photo album. It’s meant to capture a moment in time, and it’s supposed to last forever,” Beckmann explains. “That’s what I think we were able to do with this record. I’m confident that if I ever get to be an old man, I’ll look back on this and be like, ‘Yeah, we did it right.’”

The Texas native co-wrote eight tracks alongside songwriters including Jessie Jo Dillon, Jesse Frasure, Rhett Akins and more. With the announcement, Beckmann has released “Game I Like to Play,” a power ballad about diving headfirst into love, even when the odds are stacked against you.

Country Music Hall of Fame And Museum Hosts Annual Kickoff Party For Troubadour Members

Pictured (L-R): Marie Bradshaw, Senior Manager of Corporate Partnerships at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum; Ray Fulcher; Elizabeth Lombardi, Troubadour Advisory Council chair and Ben Hall, VP, Development at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

CMA Triple Play award-winner Ray Fulcher took the stage earlier this week at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s annual kickoff party for the museum’s Troubadour members. Fulcher, who has co-written more than two dozen of Luke Combs’ songs, including six No. 1 hits, performed songs including “Lovin’ on You” and “When it Rains it Pours.” The goals of the Troubadour membership program are to engage young leaders, ages 21-45, in the museum’s mission, build lifelong relationships between members and the nonprofit museum, and create a special networking space that unites music lovers. The museum hosts quarterly networking events ranging from concerts to exhibition previews for Troubadour members.

Riley Green Raises $150K At First Annual Buford Bonds Golf Tourney

Pictured (L-R): Erik Dylan, Bobby Pinson, Riley Green, Nick Walsh and Randy Montana

Riley Green hosted the first annual Buford Bonds Fund golf tournament last week which raised $150,000 for his charitable fund, which was established in 2023 in honor of his grandfathers and supports nonprofits around the country. Following the golf tournament, Green hosted an acoustic writer’s round at The Golden Saw Music Hall (which is located at the former homesite of Green’s late great-grandparents where as a teenager he learned to play guitar and sing as part of the weekly music series) in Jacksonville, Alabama.

The round included Jamey Johnson, Randy Montana, Erik Dylan and Drake White alongside Green himself. Most recently Green’s Buford Bonds Fund has supported The Recording Academy’s fire and hurricane relief efforts, Folds of Honor, and more.

CeCe Winans Appears on American Idol, Releases New Rendition Of ‘Come Jesus Come’ With Cody Johnson

Pictured (L-R): Luke Bryan, Brandon Lake, CeCe Winans, Carrie Underwood and Lionel Ritchie

CeCe Winans recently delivered a soul-stirring performance during American Idol’s recent “Songs of Faith” Easter special. Her powerful rendition of “Come Jesus Come” became an instant viral sensation, garnering 25 million plus views in its first 36 hours and surging to the top three on Apple Music’s All Genre Singles Chart, an extraordinary milestone for a gospel track. Now, building on that momentum, Winans has joined forces with Cody Johnson for a brand-new duet version of “Come Jesus Come,” releasing April 25 on all major streaming platforms.

The collaboration bridges the worlds of gospel and country, blending CeCe’s unmatched vocal purity with Cody’s earthy, heartfelt delivery. This marks the second year in a row Winans has made American Idol history: her 2024 performance of “Goodness of God” with Idol contestant Roman Collins was the most-viewed American Idol performance of all time, reaching over 120 million views across platforms and sparking a renewed national appreciation for gospel music.

Treaty Oak Revival Makes ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ Debut

Treaty Oak Revival. Photo: ABC/Randy Holmes

Treaty Oak Revival recently performed their new single, “Bad State of Mind,” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Global streams of the song, released in February via TOR Records, have already surpassed 35 million. The band is currently racking up 22 million streams and selling 18,000 albums per week, and is nominated for an Academy of Country Music Award in the New Duo or Group of the Year category. The band is set to perform at Stagecoach on April 27.

Encore Luxury Coach Leasing Meets Transportation Secretary At White House

Pictured (L-R): Encore Luxury Coach Leasing’s President Amanda Stophel and CEO Justin Ward, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FOX & Friends co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. Photo: Hunter Pitts

Nashville-based Encore Luxury Coach Leasing’s Amanda Stophel and Justin Ward met Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at The White House in an effort to understand current and future regulations forthcoming from the Dept. of Transportation.

“This was a tremendous conversation,” says Justin Ward, CEO of Encore Luxury Coach Leasing. “I was able to explain how entertainer coaches differ from school buses and how we were lumped in to the overall legislation with regards to seat belt laws. Secretary Duffy was open to learning more about helping our industry. He also mentioned getting a call from Clint Black personally to talk about driver hours and overtime/overdrives. I look forward to our next meeting in Washington, D.C.”

Bandit Lites Nashville Adds Michael Holmes As Chain Hoist Technician

Bandit Lites Nashville office continues its growth in Gen8 with several new hires including Michael Holmes as Bandit’s Chain Hoist Technician. Holmes began his entertainment lighting career as a rigging technician working in the steel isle. He later joined a lighting company and was certified as a motor technician. At Bandit Holmes will be responsible for all the electric chain hoists, ensuring they’re maintained and able to provide safe and operational motors for Bandit’s clients and crew. He’ll also maintain the Bandit custom motor control system and power distribution for motors.

Mitch Crego and TC Courtney (UMPG Nashville). Photo: Trey Bonner

Universal Music Publishing Nashville has signed songwriter and producer Mitch Crego to an exclusive, global publishing agreement.

Originally from Rome, Georgia, Crego moved to Nashville in 2018 to attend Belmont University. While still a student, he began forging connections with a rising class of songwriters, artists and music professionals.

Since graduating, he’s continued to collaborate with Nashville’s next generation of hitmakers, writing with the likes of Vincent Mason, LECADE, Colton Venner, Chase McDaniel, Trent Wayne, Matt Mulhare, Mia Mantia and more. Known on Music Row for his fast, polished production style, Crego has quickly become a go-to creative partner in both writing and studio sessions.

“As both a songwriter and producer, Mitch has built himself a brand of relentless work ethic, consistent quality, and lightning-fast efficiency. Our team is excited to partner with a songwriter whose standard of excellence is as high as ours,” says TC Courtney, Manager, A&R, UMPG Nashville.

Crego shares, “I’m so excited to work with TC and the UMPG team. Being at Universal truly feels like home, and I couldn’t be happier here. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and am eager to see where this journey takes me!”